Heena Sidhu feels great to see increasing popularity of shooting in India

Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter Heena Sidhu on Thursday said the sport has come a long way and it is great to see the popularity of shooting growing in the country.

Two-time Commonwealth Games gold medallist shooter Heena Sidhu on Thursday said the sport has come a long way and it is great to see the popularity of shooting growing in the country.

"Shooting has come a long way. There used to be a time at the shooting range where I used to turn on the lights early in the morning. Now when I go to the range at 8 in the morning, I find at least 8-10 people over there," Heena said at the CNBC-TV18 Young Turks conclave here."

"Sports has now become a part of our culture. It's great to see and know that there are a lot of youngsters taking up sports these days," she added.

Heena said its good to see a change in the mindset of the parents when it comes to their children choosing to take up sports as a serious career choice.

"Parents used to always push their kids towards a more academical profession since it offered their child a better sense of emotional and financial security. Now sports has become a serious career option and parents are enrolling their kids into academies," she said.